Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the AIlessphobia in Education Scale (AILPES): Reliability, Validity, and Cross-Cultural Measurement Invariance

AIlessphobia in education refers to individuals’ fear and unease in learning environments where artificial intelligence support is absent. We translated and culturally adapted the AIlessphobia in Education Scale (AILPES) for Chinese students and evaluated its psychometrics. A total of 1,538 college students across China completed the scale, with 219 participants taking part in a follow-up assessment one month later. The study systematically examined core psychometric properties, including internal consistency, test–retest reliability, structural validity, and cross-cultural measurement invariance. Results showed that the two dimensions of the scale—Academic Self-Efficacy Anxiety and Lack of Academic Confidence without AI—showed high internal reliability and test–retest stability. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model (CFI = .97, TLI = .96, RMSEA = .05), and partial scalar invariance was established. Overall, the Chinese AILPES appears to be a reliable and valid measure of AIlessphobia in Chinese higher-education settings.